Rail-fastening means.



W. M. OSBORN.

RAIL FASTBNING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY17,1913.

COLUMBIA N ANoon/mn co.. wAsrllNuTnN, D. c,

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

"UNITED STATES PAENT FFCE.

WARREN IVI. OSBORN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

RAIL-FASTENING- MEANS.

Losasei.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WARREN M. OsnonN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for securing in position the rails of a track without the use of spikes.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily manipulated and secure holding means for rails which comprises parts so designed that the rails can be firmly held to the right gage without spikes, which means are so shaped that they can be readily arranged on various sections of the track in such manner that any tendency of the rails to creep causes the fastening means to hold more securely, and can be reversed at any time or arranged either way around according to the tendency of the rails in any particular section to creep with the traffic. In accomplishing this object a concrete tie is provided in its upper face with metallic pockets for receiving the rails, which pockets have a base and inclined side walls that diverge from the middle toward each end so that the pockets are narrower at the top than at the bottom and are wider at the ends than at the middle. When the body of the tie is cast about these pockets they cannot be lifted out, or drawn or forced out endwise. After a rail has been laid in one of these pockets, filling blocks that have their outer surfaces shaped to conform to the inner surfaces of the side walls of the pocket and have their inner walls inclined toward the ball of the rail and oblique with relation to the web of the rail are placed in the pocket and then wedges are driven in between the filling blocks and the rail so as to aline the rail and lock the parts together. The wedges are narrower at one end than the other, have inclined outer surfaces that fit the inclined inner surfaces of the filling blocks, bottom surfaces that rest on the flanges of the rail, inner surfaces that it the web of the rail, and upper surfaces that fit under and support the ball of the rail. The filling blocks are placed in the pockets and the wedges are driven in between the filling blocks and the rail in the direction that the rail tends to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 779,511.

creep under the traflie or other conditions so that any creeping of the rail will draw the wedges in and cause them to clamp the rail more tightly and thus restrain the rail from further creeping.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of the end of a concrete tie provided with fastening means which embodies this invention and securing a short length of rail in place. Fig. 2 shows a side View of the same. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

This invention is particularly applicable for securing track rails to concrete ties. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the concrete of the tie 1 is cast about the metallic pockets. The pocket has a base 2 and inclined side walls 3. These inclined side walls diverge from the middle toward each end so that the opening in the pocket is narrower at the top than at the bottom and is wider at both ends than at the middle. After the ties provided with these pockets have been located on the road bed the rails are laid with their bases in the pockets. It is preferred to place a wooden cushioning block 4: between the bottom of the rail and the upper face of the base of the pocket. After the rails have been laid the filling blocks 5 of wood or metal as desired are placed in the pockets on each side of the rails. The outer faces of these filling blocks conform to the incline and tapers of the inner faces of the side walls of the pockets, and the inner faces of these filling blocks desirably incline toward the rail in the same manner as the outer faces. The filling blocks are made in such shape that the inner faces also are oblique with relation to the web of the rail so that the space between them is wider at one end than it is at the other end and is narrower at the top than at the bottom. After the filling blocks have been located the wedges 6 desirably formed of creosoted hard wood are forced in between the filling blocks and the rail. These wedges of course are narrower at one end than the other and their outer surfaces conform to the inner surfaces of the filling blocks while their bottom surfaces fit the rail fla'tnges 7, their inner surfaces fit the rail web 8 and their upper edges conform to and fit under the ball 9 of the rail. These wedges are driven in firmly, rst one and then the other so as to aline the rail.

After the concrete has been cast about a pocket of the shape described and has become set, the pocket cannot be lifted out as it is wider at the bottom than at thetop, nor can it be drawn or driven out of the concrete lengthwise, for it is narrower at the middle than it is at each end. Not only do the walls of such a pocket strengthen the concrete and prevent the removal of the pocket, but they permit the filling blocks to be dropped in either way around so that the wedges may be driven home in the direction of the possible creep of the rail. The filling blocks thus wedged, as their outer surfaces conform to the inner surfaces of the pockets, cannot be lifted out, nor can the filling blocks be moved lengthwise when the wedges are driven in or during service. After the wedges have been driven in all of the parts are locked together. The wedges can be used for alining and gaging the rails and at the same time they brace and support the rails and prevent them fromV tipping over or breaking down, and should the rail tend to creep during service the friction between the flanges, web and ball will draw -the wedges if they are properly arranged more tightly into place and thus cause them to more securely clamp the rail and restrain it from creeping, for under these circumstances it cannot creep without drawing the entire tie sidewise.

A pocket constructed 1n the manner described, as stated, cannot be driven or drawn endwise out of place in either direction,

and while the ties are made all the same, it allows the placing of the filling blocks in either direction so that the wedges can be driven into place in the line of the probable creep. F or instance, although the ties and pockets are all made the same, if in one section of track the probable creeping owing to traffic or other conditions is in one direction, the filling blocks which are all the same shape can be all placed so that the wec ges can be driven in between the filling blocks and the rails in the probable direction of the creep. In sections of the track where the probable creep would be in the reverse direction the filling blocks are placed in the pockets oppositely so that the wedges can be driven into place in the opposite direction to that first mentioned. In sections of track where the creep might tend to alternate, owing to varying conditions of the traflic during the day, the filling blocks would be placed in the pockets so that some of the wedges would be driven into place in one direction and others would be driven into place in the opposite direction and thus no matter in which direction the creep would be likely to occur, some of the wedges would act to restrain it. This rail securing means is cheap in construction, simple to manipulate, it supports the rail and securely holds it from tipping over or breaking down, without the use of spikes. Therefore, it is particularly serviceable with concrete ties.

The invention claimed is:

l. A rail securing means consisting of a pocket having a base and inclinedwalls that diverge toward both ends, fillingblocks that are wider at one end than the other with their outer surfaces fitting the inner surfaces of the side walls of the pockets, and wedges that are wider at one `end than the other and have their outer surfaces fitting the inner surfaces of the filling blocks Vand their inner surfaces adapted to fit a rail.

2. A rail securing means consisting ofV a pocket having a base and side walls that incline toward each other and diverge toward both ends, filling blocks with Vtheir outer surfaces inclined and diverging at both'ends and their inner surfaces convergingtoward one end, and wedges with their outer surfaces adapted to fit the inner surfaces of the filling blocks and their inner surfaces adapted to fit a rail.

3. A rail securing means consisting of ai pocket having a base and side walls that converge upwardly and diverge toward both ends, filling blocks having outer surfaces that converge upwardly and diverge toward both ends and inner surfaces that converge upwardly toward eachother, said inner surfaces also converging toward one end, and wedge blocks having outer surfaces that converge upwardly and diverge toward one end, bottom surfaces adapted to fit the flange, inner surfaces adapted to fit Vthe web, and upper surfaces adapted to fit under the ball'of a rail.

Ll. A rail securing means consisting of a pocket that tapers from the bottom to the top and that tapers from both ends to the middle, filling blocks with their outer surfaces shaped to fit the walls of the pockets when put therein either end around and their inner surfaces converging toward one end, and wedge blocks with their outer surfaces adapted to fit the inner surfaces of the filling blocks and their inner surfaces adapted to conform to the contour of a rail.

5. A rail securing' means having a pocket that is narrower at the top than at the bottom and is adapted to be secured against endwise movement in the face of a tie, fill--r ing biocks that are wider at one end than the other shaped to be placed in the pockets either end to, and blocks that are wider at one end than the other adapted to be driven in between the filling blocks and a rail.

6. The combination of a concrete tie having a transverse opening in its upper face, a metallic pocket that is narrower at the top than at the bottomV and wider both ends than at the middle set n said pocket in the port and prevent the rail from tipping and tie, filling blocks that are wider at one end creeping.

than the other adapted to be placed in the pocket either end t0, a rail extending WVARRIJN M' OSBOINN' through the pocket, and Wedge blocks driven Vtnesses:

in between the filling blocks and the rail and FRIEDA K101i, adapted to lock the parts together and sup- MAURICE BLGCII.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent, Washington, D. C. 

